Students should develop competence in writing for personal and interpersonal communication as well as artistic expression. Through the practice of writing, students should develop the ability to

reason critically;

assimilate knowledge; and

articulate what they have learned.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

interpret and critically assess different texts, including those that reflect multicultural images and perspectives, making connections and comparing ideas among these texts;

use clear, focused, unified, and coherent organization;

use the conventions of Edited American English (for example, with respect to syntax, mechanics, grammar and diction);

use logical support—including informed opinion and fact, as well as their interpretations—to develop ideas, avoiding fallacies, biased language, and inappropriate tone;

use multiple drafts to develop various purposes, styles, and voices for specific audiences;

incorporate ideas derived from a variety of sources (for example, the World Wide Web, library resources, and interviews) and document them correctly;

write in a variety of modes (e.g., autobiography, reports, editorial, case study, inquiry, and research) with complexity and appropriate detail;

use various computer applications such as word processing, email, and HyperNews to facilitate writing.

A.2: Critical Reasoning

Goals

Students should learn the criteria and methods used for distinguishing good reasoning from bad. In addition, students should develop basic reasoning skills that they can apply both within a broad range of academic disciplines and outside the academic environment. Students should also develop

skills in recognizing the logical structure of statements and arguments;

the ability to distinguish rational from non-rational means of persuasion;

skills in applying the principles of sound reasoning in the construction and evaluation of arguments; and

an appreciation of the value of critical reasoning skills in the pursuit of knowledge.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

explain and apply the basic concepts essential to a critical examination and evaluation of argumentative discourse, particularly such concepts as argument, premise, conclusion, inference, deductive validity, and inductive strength;

recognize argumentative uses of language and distinguish passages that contain arguments from passages that do not;

identify and use such logical operations as negation, conjunction, disjunction, conditionality, and quantification; and recognize these operations as expressed in ordinary English (via such terms as "not," "and," "or," "if," "all," "some," and their cognates);

determine when technology would be helpful in mathematical analysis and apply it appropriately.

A.4: Oral Communication

Goals

Students should acquire a clear understanding of the basic concepts and practices associated with public speaking and should appreciate the role of public speaking in a democratic society. Students should be able to deliver speeches in accordance with the principles of effective oral presentation.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

compose and deliver extemporaneous public presentations on socially significant and intellectually challenging topics;

effectively create, organize, and support ideas in oral presentations;

identify, evaluate, and apply different styles of presentation in public speaking;

respect a variety of public speaking styles;

identify the ethical responsibilities of a public speaker;

define the principle of freedom of expression and explain its role in a democratic society.

Section B: Natural Sciences

Goals

Students should gain basic knowledge and learn key principles in the biological and physical sciences. In addition, students should recognize the unique role experiments play in adding to scientific knowledge, and should understand modern methods and tools used in scientific inquiry.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

identify and explain basic facts, rules, principles, and laws in the biological and physical sciences;

explain how the methods of scientific inquiry are used to obtain new scientific data and to advance the current level of knowledge;

recognize the assumptions and limitations of science;

recognize the role of science in human society and how scientific achievements affect everyday life.

In addition, as a result of taking GE lab courses in the Natural Sciences, students will

Students should gain a basic appreciation of the nature and methods of the Humanities. By studying works in literature, fine arts, philosophy, and religion, students should gain a critical understanding of the meaning of humanistic study in one or more cultures and eras. Students should also acquire an understanding of interdisciplinary methodologies in the Humanities.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

explain the human search for meaning and values in one or more times and cultures;

analyze and interpret ideas of value and meaning from a variety of humanities perspectives;

articulate and defend their own thoughtful assessment of these ideas;

reflect critically on their own conceptions of meaning and value.

C.1: Literature

Goals

Students should learn the theories, methods, and techniques of literary analysis. Students should become familiar with and develop an appreciation of literature through the study of one or more of the following: (1) literary genre, (2) literature of cultural diversity, (3) traditional "major authors" or "major works," (4) oral tradition.

Students should understand the basic concepts, forms, and history of the arts. Students should also understand at least one of the arts—including performance and practice—from the perspective of its humanistic content. The term "arts" includes creative writing, performing arts, and visual arts.

Student Learning Outcomes

As a result of taking GE courses in basic concepts in the arts, students will be able to do many or all of the following:

discuss and evaluate major works of artistic expression;

use appropriate critical vocabulary to describe and analyze works of artistic expression;

describe and explain the historical context within which a body of work was created.

As a result of taking GE courses in performance and practice, students will be able to do many or all of the following:

discuss the basic techniques of at least one form of artistic expression;

apply those techniques to produce or perform an appropriate body of art works;

discuss and evaluate expressions of that art form.

C.3: Philosophy and Religion

Goals

Students should critically reflect on questions concerning the nature, meaning, and value of human existence, the world in which we live, and our relations with one another. Students should understand the sources and limits of knowledge. They should appreciate and assess different world views and moral teachings that have played central roles in human culture, which may include traditional forms of philosophic and religious thought and expression as well as mythology, folklore, and other forms of spirituality and cosmology.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

discuss and explain a number of significant philosophic views and/or forms of religious expression;

describe and explain the roles philosophical and religious thinking and traditions play in shaping human culture and social institutions.

Section D: Social Sciences

Goals

Students should, through the study of social sciences, understand the complexities of social relations and human experiences. Students should also understand the nature, scope, and limits of social-scientific study.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

apply social science methods to identify and examine diverse perspectives;

critically analyze and explain the multiple social science perspectives that underlie debates on important contemporary issues;

As a result of taking GE lab courses in the Social Sciences, students will be able to do the following:

systematically collect and analyze data;

present results in a written and/or verbal report.

Section E: Applied Arts and Sciences

Goals

Students should understand how human beings function in various physical, social, cultural, and technological environments. Through the study of applied arts and sciences, students should become more integrated and well rounded individuals.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

identify and apply behaviors leading to individual well-being and development;

identify and apply factors leading to community well-being and development ;

describe the roles of science and technology, and apply them in daily life situations at the individual and/or community levels;

Section F: Comparative Cultural Studies

Goals

Students should become educated citizens who appreciate the multiplicity of cultural forces that shape the world. Students should understand and respect the diversity of human cultures, as well as differences between and within cultures.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

describe and compare different cultures;

explain how different cultures have contributed to the development of today’s world;

Students should progressively acquire a basic understanding of information retrieval tools and practices, and should improve their skills in evaluating and using information. These skills will be acquired through the General Education program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do many or all of the following:

recognize and define information needs;

demonstrate effective search strategies for finding information;

locate and retrieve relevant information;

evaluate and organize the information for use;

create and communicate information effectively;

explain the legal and ethical dimensions of the use of information;

describe points of view and practices employed in presentation of information from all sources.